Romance of Mystery

Directed by Douglas Heyes
Written by Charles Beaumont, Based on his short story
Starring H. M. Wynant, John Carradine, and Frederic Ledebur
On today's episode of "It Came From The Devil Box," we offer up a tale that, well, actually has to do with some devils. This episode comes from Rod Serling's immortal program "The Twilight Zone." For those of you who haven't seen at least one episode of this incredible piece of television, do yourself a favor by experiencing the spectacle that is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, this glorious dimension of imagination. As a matter of fact, wary traveler, it wouldn't be a bad idea to start with the story up for examination today...
David Ellington stands before a window while a tempestuous storm rages in the night outside. He looks desperately to an unseen figure, pleading them to believe the wild and unimaginable tale he has to tell. The storm outside has special significance for the old man, as it was on an evening just like this that his story took place. It took place sometime shortly after the first World War. Ellington was on a walking trip through Europe when he became hopelessly lost in a storm.
Ellington comes upon a lighted castle and bangs upon the oak door for salvation. A giant, bearded man answers the call but is hesitant on letting Ellington inside. Promising just to stay for a short period until the storm passes and he has time to rest, Ellington is able to gain entry into threshold. As he stumbles about sick with fever, Ellington is told by the giant that he will consult with Father Jerome to discuss David�s stay. While the hermit is gone, Ellington hears an anguished howl ring out through the hallowed walls.
The giant tells David the sound was only the wind blowing and then takes him into the private quarters of Father Jerome. The elderly hermit vehemently denies allowing a stranger to spend an evening in the castle and instantly orders Ellington to return to the coldness outside. Before he can even make it to the door, David collapses onto the floor from the sickness brought on by the harsh weather. The hermits gather around his prostrate form and silently agree to shelter the lost soul.
Waking from his feverish stupor, David begins walking through the shadowy corridors of the hermitage, the ghastly howls incessantly shattering the silence. Seeking the source of the noise, Ellington is drawn to a heavy door with a small, barred opening. Looking inside, Ellington spots a haggard young man who rushes over to him, pleading to be saved from the mad hermits. The man tells Ellington that he is a prisoner of the castle, locked away after Jerome caught the man kissing his own wife in the village and then thrown into the dungeon on account of his "sin."
Jerome interrupts the scene to take Ellington away into his offices. Ellington demands Father Jerome to explain why there is a prisoner in the hermitage, but the old man denies there being any man imprisoned in the castle. The priest�s resistance causes Ellington to threaten to go to the police and expose the dark doings of the hermitage. Jerome finally concedes and promises Ellington that he shall explain the story behind the prisoner. Just then a piercing howl causes Jerome to cover his ears; he admits to hearing the howls, as they have tortured him for the past five years. He then delivers a startling declaration to Ellington: it is no mere man that is locked away in the hermitage� but the very Devil himself!
According to Jerome, the ordeal began when the hermitage was given the rotting castle as a donation from an esteemed European family. While there the brotherhood would tend the vineyards and guide the castle�s inhabitants in prayer. After the Great War had ravaged the land, it seemed the entire world was in chaos and despair. The only exception seemed to be the village directly below the mountains, a hamlet that was happy and blissful despite the turmoil occurring around them. The town was ripe picking for Satan and he sought to break the town�s spirit with sin and lies. The Devil had underestimated Jerome�s power and was soon imprisoned in the castle, kept under guard by the Staff of Truth that serves as the door�s lock.
Jerome begs Ellington to believe his story, asking him to observe how the Earth has been free from great plagues and war for the last few years. Ellington pledges his allegiance to Jerome and swears that he will not speak a word of the matter to anyone. After he is let out of the office, Ellington goes to the man�s cell to discuss the exchange with the prisoner. The man laughs at Jerome�s devil theory, musing on how a devil�s greatest dream is to catch the Devil. Ellington confesses that he doesn�t actually believe the old man and before he can promise the man that he�ll set him free, the giant Christophorus takes Ellington away to his room, locking him in for his own protection.
As Christophorus dozes, Ellington slips the key from around his neck and makes his escape, grabbing a cloak before leaving the room. After locking the hermit inside, Ellington goes over to the dungeon where the man waits ecstatic at the sign of release. The prisoner tells Ellington that he must first lift the staff that is barring the door in order to let him out. Ellington is perplexed; the man could very well have dislodged the staff himself. Goaded by the man�s frantic pleas, Ellington removes the staff from the door as Christophorus screams from the room.
Ellington hands the man the cloak as he steps from his prison. Just as they are about to make a run for it, the man raises his hand in the air, causing Ellington to convulse and fall to the ground. Smiling wickedly, the man casually walks to the other side of the room, finally transformed into his true terrible form when he turns to look back at Ellington. Giving one last triumphant sneer, the howling man disappears in a cloud of hell-spawn fire and smoke. Jerome can only lament as the stupefied Ellington solemnly promises to himself to right the wrongs he has done by tracking the Devil down again.
Back in Ellington�s apartment, it is revealed that the person he is speaking to is a meek maid. He excitedly shows her that he has indeed recaptured Satan and is keeping him locked away with a smaller staff. Ellington has to leave in order to make the arrangements to have Jerome reclaim his prisoner and instructs the maid on a few fine points before he leaves. He warns that under no circumstances must she open the door and advises to simply ignore the howling. After he departs, the maid is startled by a frightening cry that emanates from the locked room. Her curiosity piqued, she lifts the staff from its place and the door swings open�
"The Howling Man" is an exemplary episode from the outer reaches of "The Twilight Zone." It is one of their more horror-geared stories to boot. The stranger stumbling upon the foreboding castle one dark and stormy night is genuine Gothic goodness. The camera twists marvelously throughout the episode, each distorted frame adding to the feeling of Ellington's confusion over who is telling the truth. I can watch this episode over and over and still be thrilled and mystified by the story. That is a true testament to the resilience and vitality of this incredible series. The howls that the man (or is it?) cries out will continue to resonate in your mind long after the credits roll. Just whatever you do... DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!

Labels: 1960S, It Came From The Devil Box, Satan, Twilight Zone

Behold! A moldy oldie from the innermost depths of my dark collection. Put out by Scholastic in 1969, this dusty little anthology is actually a rather decent gathering of some genre favorites and scribes of less renown. The perfect book for those of you looking to pass those lazy afternoons with a few bloody good classics of terror literature...
"THE DUNWICH HORROR" by H. P. LOVECRAFT
Many strange things occur in the domed, wild countryside of Dunwich, Massachusetts. The degenerate villagers say that the mad piping of the whippoorwills signal the oncoming death of a human being and that their demonic laughter means that they have captured the soul of the departed. Even stranger than this folktale is the story concerning the mysterious family of the Whatleys. Young albino Lavinia is suddenly impregnated with child, her sorcerous father Old Whatley only alluding to the father of the boy as something more than human in his correspondence with the town people. The goatish-looking brat is delivered and matures at a supernatural rate. Young Wilbur, who keeps himself entirely clothed and is feared by dogs, reaches his manhood before even becoming an adolescent. The town folk grow uneasy every May Eve and All Hallow�s, for the Whatley family travel up to the stone-riddled Sentinel Hill to perform ghastly rites that cause the earth to groan in fury. They also begin to notice how Wilbur and his grandfather are constantly renovating their farmhouse and bringing cattle into the guarded shed, the animals never to emerge again from its stinking depths. When Old Whatley finally passes on, Wilbur desperately tries to attain an original copy of the dreaded Necronomicon from Miskatonic University. Dr. Henry Armitage, the aged librarian, refuses Wilbur to take the book when he realizes what cosmically hellish purposes he has in mind. Wilbur is slain by the library watchdog when he tries to break in one night and Armitage and his comrades behold the inhuman physiology that composed Wilbur�s body. But the very worst is yet to come. With all the Whatleys now dead, an invisible and abominable force breaks free from the Whatley place and begins terrorizing the populace of Dunwich. Armitage must now find a way to stop the titanic beast from escaping the town of Dunwich and feasting on the blood of every last human on Earth...
"THE LOVE LETTER" by JACK FINNEY
Jake Belknap is a young bachelor making a living in Manhattan and residing in a small, Brooklyn apartment. He purchases an old and fine Victorian desk from a pawn shop so that he can work efficiently at home. Fiddling with the ornate desk one night, Jake exposes a hidden drawer when he moves a hidden panel in one of the pigeonholes. The drawer is filled mostly with yellowed, blank sheaves of paper but he notices an unmarked envelope containing a letter. Upon opening it, Jake reads the musings of a young woman named Helen who is speaking to an imaginary lover, an ideal man she wishes to meet instead of being cursed by her planned betrothal. Enchanted by Helen's pleas and the evening atmosphere, Jake uses the old paper and ink to compose a response, even going so far as to place one of his antique stamps on the envelope and dropping the letter at a Civil War-era post office in town. Over the next few days Jake finds himself becoming enamored by the antiquity of bygone years as he stares at a pictorial history of New York and dreams of what Helen must have been like. He is equally stunned and rejoiced to find a second letter from Helen in another of the desk�s secret drawers. Claiming his love for her, Jake writes another letter explaining everything, knowing this is to be his last correspondence through time with Helen. In return she sends him a small but meaningful token along with words that shall remain true in Jake�s heart evermore...
"W. S." by L. P. HARTLEY
Novelist Walter Streeter is having a bit of a rough time with his writing. The sudden appearance of strange postcards signed "W. S." only makes his life more perplexing. He pays no mind to them at first, but a series of strange circumstances brings his attention to the front. For one, the short messages inscribed on each card seem very telling and probe into some of Streeter�s most hidden mental recesses. Walter also entertains the idea that he may have finally lost it and is sending himself letters, thus explaining the matching initials. But the most disturbing aspect is the slightly vengeful tone in the postcards and the pictures of landscapes and churches that reveal that the mailer is coming ever so closer to Streeter. Thinking back to his early days of writing, Streeter recalls a rather nefarious character he created for his book The Pariah. The villain was one William Stainsforth, a black soul who Walter had poured all of his loathing and hatred into. Sensing that the physical personification of his character has come to hunt him down for all the literary wrongs he has done him, Streeter has the police send down a guard for protection on the appointed date of arrival. But the best laid plans suddenly go awry and Streeter finds himself looking into the cold eyes of a murderer he wrought from his very own hand�
"THE OBLONG BOX" by EDGAR ALLAN POE
The narrator is due to board a voyage from Charleston, South Carolina to New York on the Independence in June. Though he is a tad upset when the captain informs him that the voyage is to be postponed, his spirits lighten when he notices his close artist friend Cornelius Wyatt is to be aboard as well. As everyone gets ready for the ship to set sail, the narrator becomes excited not only to reunite with his college comrade but to make the acquaintance of his new bride whom Wyatt often brags about. But when he engages Wyatt in conversation, the artist is more moody and depressed than usual and his wife, in addition to appearing rather plain, is of a vulgar and low-ranking character. The mystery surrounding Wyatt is especially highlighted by the presence of an odd oblong box that he keeps with him in his stateroom and whose contents remain unknown. The narrator cannot help but wonder about his friend�s sanity, especially when he hears Wyatt removing the lid every night and gently weeping as well as the artist�s disturbing and violent reaction to a jest the narrator made concerning the box. When a raging storm soon puts the ship in danger of being overcome by the sea, the crew and passengers are forced to abandon the doomed vessel. The last delirious act of Wyatt finally reveals to the narrator the tragic story of the oblong box�s beautiful occupant�
"THE APE AND THE MYSTERY" by GERALD KERSH
The young and foolish Duke of Abruzzi is conversing with the learned painter and genius Leonardo da Vinci in his hall one evening. Leonardo is making a rough sketch of a great stone water filter that he plans to have constructed in order to purify the stagnant fluids of the countryside. The Duke is not impressed one bit by Leonardo�s talk of rocks and brass pipes and constantly tries to liven the dull conversation. When Leonardo makes a comparison between his own artistic achievements and the far-reaching possibilities of the water tank, the Duke hits upon the subject of Leonardo�s work to segue from all the political talk. The Duke begins to question Leonardo about his most famous portrait, the Mona Lisa, and the mysterious woman who sat for the historical painting. The Duke is perplexed by the strange beauty Madame Giocondo seems to hold over him. He is most puzzled by the small, enigmatic smile that is frozen upon her face, wondering why she must smile in such a peculiar way. Leonardo states that his model always possessed that same smile for the entire time he saw her and relates of how he also was tortured by the puzzle of her soul. As the Duke continually prods the old painter on, Leonardo reveals to his dense companion the true horror of just what was lying beyond the Mona Lisa�s lips and how it took a silly ape and a mellow canine to reveal the ugly truth�
"THE JUDGE�S HOUSE" by BRAM STOKER
Malcolm Malcomson is a young student who decides to rent out the brooding and legendary Judge�s House to study for his examinations due to its desolation and loneliness. As Mr. Cranford hands over the keys to him, Malcolm is told by the frightened housekeeper Mrs. Dempster the house�s terrifying history. The house was built and lived in by an evil and cruel judge who not only dealt out the harshest of punishments but also delighted most in witnessing the gruesome hangings of the criminals he persecuted. Malcolm shrugs off the woman�s fears but, as he delves into his books that night, Malcolm hears the awful scurrying and scratching of millions of rats within the walls. An incredibly large and malevolent-looking vermin makes its presence known on the fireplace chair and proceeds to haunt and torment the student. With the discovery of the menacing portrait of the infamous judge, Malcolm begins to feel the burning of the eyes watching him until it all culminates in a night of horror and death�
"THUS I REFUTE BEELZY" by JOHN COLLIER
Mrs. Carter and her friend Betty muse at little Simon as he plays pretend in the house�s cluttered garden just as the tea bell rings. Big Simon returns from the dentist�s office after having all his appointments canceled for the day to spend some time with his family. His wife expresses some concern for their son who always looks so drained and pale after his imaginative little games. After a bit of questioning from his father, the boy informs the adults of his playmate whom he calls Mr. Beelzy. Little Simon remains elusive as to just what his friend looks like and how he summons him for playtime, but his father becomes angered at the boy�s obstinate assertion that Beelzy is real. When Little Simon says that his friend will take the form of a ravenous lion to protect him, Big Simon brings his son upstairs for a good thrashing. Too bad he didn�t heed his son�s prophetic words�
"RETURN OF THE GRIFFINS" by A. E. SANDELING
Gunar Vries, the eloquent emissary from the country of S--, has just settled down into his hotel room after a meeting at the United Nations in New York when his bed is beset by a strange fit of shaking. The cause of the ruckus soon makes itself known: a noble griffin of ancient myth, all eagle winged and lion bodied. Gunar is a tad shocked by this visitation but he curiously asks the intelligent being of its presence. The griffin informs Gunar that his kind have come back to make themselves known to the world now at its most desperate time of need with threats of atomic war and depression. Stirred by the prophetic coming of these creatures, Gunar soon notifies his president of the griffin�s return and his plans to make the arrival known to the entire world. The trouble is, no one else seems to be able to see the monsters, even if they�re flying over the city�s skyscrapers or casually strolling into tailor shops. Gunar�s ravings unsettle his country�s government and the president is soon forced to remove Gunar from his position in order to save his reputation as well as that of the other delegates. But Gunar remains determined in his mission and goes to great lengths to inform the mass public of the griffins� return and takes a final leap of faith from his imprisoning society�
"FLIES" by ANTHONY VERCOE
A lonely tramp, a former university don, is wandering through the sickeningly warm and wet streets of London one stormy night. Desperately seeking shelter from the ravaging rain, the tramp spots a boarded up house with a "To Let" sign plastered upon it. He manages to break through the glass of a window and let himself in just as a policeman stands at the end of the street. Finally relieved of the daunting weather, the hobo is taken back by the sumptuously furnished rooms within. It seems to be a relic from two hundred years prior, more lavish and splendid than the damaged edifice made it seem from outside. His fortune only increases with the sight of a delicious banquet set out on a table, a feast his famished organs greedily delight in. There is a mysterious droning that reverberates from the walls, similar to the buzzing of bees. Entering a bed chamber, the tramp is terrified to see an open casket that exposes the rotted and blasphemous remains of a plague victim. Worse still, the carnivorous blowflies within the cadaver soon attack the tramp who just manages to escape their disgusting wrath. Looking out a window in the kitchen, he sees a mournful figure ringing a bell and guiding a cartful of corpses through the streets as he gravely intones "Bring out your dead!" Realizing the fantastic truth that he�s been transported back to the time of the Great Plague, the tramp attempts to break free of the crawling denizens of the house before they can claim his flesh�
"THE SHED" by E. EVERETT EVANS
Hutch, Cuddy, and Stub are three adventurous boys living through a blisteringly hot summer in Michigan of 1901. They fill up their lazy afternoons with romps and play, most of which takes place in an abandoned shed that contains some gymnastic equipment. The only detriment to their fun-filled time is an enigmatic Shadow that crouches in the corner of the shed. Nearly everyone in town knows of it, but few know of what it could possibly be and just what it wants. The grim purpose of the shadow creature becomes apparent when Hutch�s beloved dog Sam goes missing. Since the canine was an important member of the community, a public uproar is raised over the animal�s disappearance. This leads Hutch to discover Sam�s name tag just outside of the Shadow�s dark reach. Once the adults hear of the strange goings-on, they forbid the children from going anywhere near the forsaken shed. Things only get worse when a little girl�s pet cat and a local daredevil also fall prey to the Shadow�s flesh-hungry wake. As the black creature begins to take definite shape and gain life with each feeding, the boys formulate a plan to stop the monster�s progress by retrieving a sickly cow from the local slaughterhouse...
"THE MISTAKE" by FIELDEN HUGHES
The Medical Superintendent at Applesett Private Medical Hospital recounts a certain patient that was under his care. The man was completely silent and kept to himself, the oddest thing being his ability to go completely without sleep. After the man dies, the doctor opens a manuscript addressed to him specifically to be read after the patient�s death. The man had been a vicar at St. Alpha�s Church in the village of Smeritone where he ekes out a pleasant enough existence. The only detriment is his cruel warden Admiral Sir Anthony Vilpert, a despicable old coot whom the vicar dubs "the White Goat" on account of his long, snowy beard and bleating voice. The vicar and admiral simply loathe one another, the latter spreading vicious rumors concerning the former throughout the village. The vicar�s unholy prayers are granted when Vilpert finally dies one day. On the day of the funeral, the vicar is disturbed when he hears a small tapping from within the casket and entertains the notion that the fate of "the White Goat" now rests in his hands. However he does nothing to report the noise he heard and the coffin is buried. Haunted by the thought of the old man, the vicar enters the churchyard late one night and unearths a terrible sight that ruins his soul for years to come�
JOE MONSTER'S TOP PICKS
"THE DUNWICH HORROR" by H. P. LOVECRAFT
"W. S. " by L. P. HARTLEY
"THE JUDGE'S HOUSE" by BRAM STOKER
"RETURN OF THE GRIFFINS" by A. E. SANDELING
"FLIES" by ANTHONY VERCOE

Labels: 1960S, Anthology, Books, Haunted Library, Lovecraft, Monster

"THE ARCHITECTS OF FEAR" from THE OUTER LIMITS
Directed by Byron Haskin
Written by Meyer Dolinsky
Starring Robert Culp, Leonard Stone, Martin Wolfson, and Geraldine Brooks
A group of quiet men are gathered at a table, their moods seemingly calm, their manners apparently professional. They are here on business, but it is a dark mission they have on their minds. Their brows are wrinkled and beaded with sweat. It is because they must pass a death sentence to one of their own. Some may be praying for themselves, and some may be praying for the chosen one.
These diplomats have become increasingly worried by the global tensions of the world. It seems every country is at the throat of another, ready to cut it at any moment. Instead of banding together as brothers and sisters, the people of the world have insisted on casting suspicion and anger upon their neighbors. So these men have met today to solve the problem. They will create an enemy. A common foe that will force the people of Earth to join forces, to finally become a brotherhood. One man at the table will be that enemy.
A drawing from a jar determines that Allen Leighton will be that man. Through scientific operations and procedures, Allen will be completely transformed into an alien species, ridding himself of every last shred of humanity that he has left. The young man takes the news lightly at first, not showing any worries over his planned operation. But soon Allen is forced to think of someone else: Yvette, his beloved wife. With a heavy heart he leaves her behind to serve humankind� by becoming something disturbingly inhuman.

"The Architects of Fear" is one of the many noteworthy and excellent episodes to have invaded our television screens from the far reaches of the outer limits. Similar to other stories from the series, "The Architects of Fear" revolves around a timeless theme that serves as its potent dramatic core, but it's accentuated by all the fantastic trappings of science fiction.
Screenwriter Meyer Dolinsky has crafted a powerful moral tale that can be relevant to all creeds of people at any point in history. One of the greatest flaws of the human race is the curse of misconceived notions, actions that we take that we think are for the greater good but, in the end, rear their ugly heads at us in the worst of ways. This metaphor takes on a literal form as the mistake made by the delegates from this episode are met with the twisted countenance of their experiment. And like any other tragic fable, the terrible message of the story is only comprehended once the deed is done and there's no way of going of back.
"The Architects of Fear" might not have succeeded if there wasn't a capable actor to handle the character of Allen and his complex moral dilemma. Thankfully, Robert Culp is more than qualified to elicit sympathy and display a full range of emotions as the doomed Leighton. When he's first elected to be the subject of the experiment, Allen is shockingly jovial and optimistic about his transformation.
The audience begins to see that this is only a front that Allen is putting on when his wife Yvette appears. We see him struggling with the task of deceiving the woman he loves; this is made all the more painful when Yvette begins talking about having children and raising a family. The culmination of his pent-up feelings takes place during the laboratory scene where Allen, already halfway through the transmutation process, lashes out in a drug-fueled rage at his scientist-captors. Culp manages to be both devastated and terrifying as he fights for his right to be a human being.
Geraldine Brooks as Yvette comes out full-force herself during the conclusion when she comes to realize that the horrifying "alien" is in fact her husband. Her pain and anger become our own when she can only look down at the dead figure that was once Allen. And even though Yvette wraps the episode up by espousing the lesson to be learned from the story, it could very well have ended without her saying anything at all. Her eyes say everything that we need to know. They show us what fear can really do.

Labels: 1960S, Alien, It Came From The Devil Box, Outer Limits, Scifi Horror, Television Series

The first in the influential horror series from Warren Publishing. Similar to the EC Comics that inspired it, Creepy and its two brother publications, Eerie and Vampirella, soon became very unique and outstanding creatures of their own right. What follows is a lurid look into the dark contents of the first issue. Hold on to your funeral shrouds, it's gonna be a scary ride!
"VOODOO!"
Written by Russ Jones and Bill Pearson, Art by Joe Orlando
Frank Prentiss and his wife Sylvia have been living at the edge of the steamy jungles of Haiti for two years. Frank is a hopeless alcoholic who has no interest in finding a job, making it all the more easier for Sylvia to loathe her husband and find other means to keep herself busy: mainly by attending voodoo rituals and keeping a shrine of mysterious native charms. When Frank confronts her over her latest parcel, he is disgusted to see it�s a withered, shrunken head. Tossing the gruesome talisman out the window, Frank kicks Sylvia out as she warns him that he�ll pay for his ignorance. After Sylvia loses her head after trying to take a swing at Frank with a machete, he discovers just how powerful voodoo really is�
A nasty little diddy to get the ball rolling. EC veteran Joe Orlando takes over the art for this story and it's just as great as his work from the 50's. A typical story of voodoo death and zombies for all you flesh fanatics out there.
"H2O WORLD!"
Written by Larry Ivie, Art by Al Williamson and Roy Krenkel
Two deep-sea explorers don their swimming gear as they prepare to journey to a legendary underwater city. Anchoring their boat, they set their intercom sets onto their gear so they�ll be able to communicate with whatever life forms populate the city. As they near the beautiful city rested upon an underwater mountain, the duo are captured by a siege of scaly creatures that bring them to the high court of their humanoid ruler. The king then explains the city�s sordid past that details war, mutation, and the bloodthirstiness of man�
Doesn't hold up as well as the first tale. The plot is pretty slow moving, the majority of it taken up by the male diver bombarding us with dull exposition about the undersea kingdom. And just when you think things have finally picked up when the fish mutants appear, they just take the couple to the king who then proceeds to ramble on about the errors of the human race. Ugh.
"VAMPIRES FLY AT DUSK!"
Written by Archie Goodwin, Art by Reed Crandall
In the streets of Sicily, two villagers discover the corpse of a vampire attack, its entire body drained of blood. It has been the fifth death since the mysterious Count Orsini and his lovely bride Elena moved into the old villa on the hill. When the police inspector arrives to question the count, Elena begins pondering just why her husband is only awake at night and examines the collection of books concerning vampirism that fill his library...
The first story written by Archie Goodwin, a word wizard who would go on to pen many a tale for the Warren comics. There's just something I dig about Goodwin. His enthusiasm for the genre seems to shine in all his work and his sly sense of humor in some of his other stories always brings a demented smile to my lips. A vintage vampire yarn with a neat little twist.
"WEREWOLF!"
Written by Larry Ivie, Art by Frank Frazetta
At the office of native affairs in the Gonteekwa Valley of Africa, big-game hunter Demmon is being consulted by a native who needs the white man�s assistance. It seems that a fearsome creature that the villagers believe is the legendary demon Gonteekwa has been seen prowling the vicinity at night and has been around for as long as anyone and their ancestors can remember, giving credence to the fact that it is an immortal beast. In addition, the creature is said to be a living member of the tribe by day who takes the form of the monster by night, being a form of the mythical werewolf. Demmon agrees to hunt the beast down, but only on the condition that he will claim half the bounty in addition to the animal�s rare pelt as well. The boisterous hunter will soon discover at the end of the night that he just may get more than he wished for�
Frank Frazetta is a force to be reckoned with. His covers for the Creepy and Eerie lines remain some of the most dark and memorable pieces of art to this day. The master does not disappoint in this red-blooded adventure tale of lycanthropy. And the werewolf is amazing.

Look at that thing!
"BEWITCHED!"
Written by Larry Ivie, Art by Gray Morrow
A man discovers an ancient book on witchcraft in the attic of his home and becomes excited when he reads a passage in the book telling that burning a branch of holly atop Douglas Hill can kill a witch. As dusk settles upon the town, the man drives the winding roads to Douglas Hill. He finally manages to strike a match and sets fire to one of the holly branches. A bloodcurdling scream rings out in the night air and the image of a wailing woman appears before him. Racing back home, the man is plagued by strange and terrible nightmares and realizes he�s been bewitched. Upon awakening, the witch-slayer discovers that he�s in for a completely new world of hurt�
Definitely not the beloved television show you're thinking of. A guy bites off a little more hex than he can chew and suddenly finds himself being chased by... a dinosaur? And he has to disarm a bomb? It actually works rather well. The art in the dream sequence is nicely psychedelic, giving this story a certain surreal charm.
"THE SUCCESS STORY"
Written by Archie Goodwin, Art by Al Williamson
Mr. Mack and Mrs. Smudge are congratulating the genius Baldo Smudge on his phenomenal comic strip and ask the young man to discuss the story of his massive success. Smudge weaves them a fantastic tale where he claimed his name to fame� leaving out the part where he convinced a writer, inker, and artist to do all his work, murdered them once they caught on to his scheme, and then dumped their bodies from the foggy waterfront. Now alone at the office, Baldo is met with a surprise visit from some old friends who are intent on finishing their work�
A witty tale of the comics industry! Archie seems to be having a good time with himself crafting the despicable Smudge and all the creepy shenanigans that ensue. For you ghouls who like your humor burnt black with a dash of blood.
"PURSUIT OF THE VAMPIRE!"
Written by Archie Goodwin, Art by Angelo Torres
The time is the late nineteenth century, the place is Austria. As the sun begins to set, a group of villagers make their somber way down the mountain road from their cemetery. Suddenly a stranger steps forward and asks the group why they are leaving the graveyard. They inform him that they just buried two girls who were completely drained of blood by a mad killer and are heading quickly home to escape his wrath. The stranger tells them that his home was ravaged by evil vampires and the same will happen to them if they don�t stop it. Teaming up with the rational burgomaster, the stranger hunts down the two ghostly girls as they attempt to escape the cemetery. But then that leaves just one monster left in their midst� or more�?
Good ol' Archie is at it again with his bothersome bloodsuckers prowling the countryside. For having two vampire tales in the same issue, Goodwin manages to bestow each story with its own particular atmosphere and mood. While similar to "Vampires Fly At Dusk" in tone for most of the story, "Pursuit" heads into wacky EC territory with the introduction of the twist ending. Angelo Torres' art compliments the story greatly. There's a particularly haunting panel where one of the vampire girls seems to be floating ghost-like to the tomb of her sister. Creeeeepy, indeed!
THE LAUGHING SHARK'S VERDICT
Awhaha! A good start for an amazing series! The stark black and white art lets you take in the true talent and scope of all the pencilers and inkers. The actual stories themselves are superb as well. A tasty horror sampler if I ever saw one. Sink your teeth into this one NOW! Dohohohoho!

Labels: 1960S, Comic Books, Creepy Comics, Twisted Panels, Warren